History of the banned Cameroon jerseys

For the second day of the Africa Cup, Cameroon will take to the field against Senegal, the trophy holder. It is a highly anticipated match between two of the most important teams in African football, particularly significant for Cameroon, which drew the first group stage match. If the battle on the field will be intense, the competition for the most distinctive kits already seems to have a designated winner: Cameroon. Today, the national team is sponsored by One All Sports, a partner who, among other responsibilities, has failed to provide the new uniforms to the Lions participating in the Africa Cup in Ivory Coast, forcing them to use the old kits. In terms of suppliers, however, the most significant partnership involving Cameroon concerns the association with PUMA, a brand with which they were affiliated from 1998 to 2018, facing various incidents involving the national team and FIFA due to irregularities.

Cameroon 2002 - The Sleeveless Jersey

The jersey that Cameroon intended to use for the 2002 World Cup has been nicknamed "sleeveless" over time because it literally had no sleeves, resembling a basketball tank top. The FECAFOOT (Cameroon Football Federation) at the time found no issue with what was a previously unseen variation, allowing Cameroon to use it during the Africa Cup. On the other hand, FIFA stated that the African Indomitable Lions should not wear that jersey at the Asian World Cup held in South Korea and Japan, effectively banning it. The official justification for the prohibition was the inability to attach the tournament patch to the sleeves. Cameroon attempted a tug of war knowing they couldn't win, but despite the later addition of black sleeves, ruining PUMA's stylistic experiment, the jersey remains a milestone in football kit designs. The Cameroon of Eto'o and Olembé-Olembé will have to settle for photos taken during the African competition, now a valuable testimony to one of the most incredible dynamics involving football jerseys.

Cameroon 2004 - The First Football Bodysuit

The "feud" between PUMA and FIFA did not end in 2002. The second episode of the "series" where the African national team challenged the most powerful world football organization was the most fought. Following the episode of the sleeveless jersey, in 2004, thanks to the usual collaboration with PUMA, Cameroon launched a kind of "bodysuit," a racing body in red and green. Sepp Blatter, then FIFA president, issued a rule regarding kits, emphasizing that "all shirts and shorts must be separate clothing items." Cameroon continued to play with that uniform, ignoring the new rule from the Nyon authorities. Cameroon's challenge involved those in the football world, but the team had to surrender when a fine of €130,000 and a 6-point deduction in the 2006 World Cup qualification group arrived from the same offices. The courage of the Indomitable Lions was at its highest level, but the transgression brought nothing positive to the national team, except for a new and interesting chapter to add to the list of banned football jerseys.

For the current edition of the Africa Cup, unfortunately or fortunately, we cannot expect anything sensational, considering that the team coached by Rigobert Song and captained by the eternal Vincent Aboubakar will continue to play the upcoming matches with the kit designed for the 2022 edition of the Africa Cup held in Algeria.